For the first time since 2008, Tom Brady wasn’t chosen to be a part of the AFC Pro Bowl roster.
The three quarterbacks chosen ahead of him were MVP favorite Lamar Jackson, Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. who’s having a career year for the Houston Texans.
If you’re complaining that Brady deserves to be in ahead of any of those three, then you’re obviously very wrong.
The numbers spell it out — Jackson and Mahomes are No. 1 and 2 in QBR at the moment and Watson is seventh, but third among AFC quarterbacks. Brady? He’s 21st! Right behind Jacoby Brissett and ahead of … Joe Flacco! Yeesh.
There’s also this little nugget about his recent play and health from USA TODAY Sports:
Since Week 12, however, signs point to that right elbow injury as something that’s been holding the 42-year-old back. In that four-game span, Brady hasn’t completed more than 52.8% of his passes in a game. His 50.3% completion percentage and 76.8 quarterback rating since Week 12 are the lowest among all NFL quarterbacks who have played in four games.
I’ll throw one more in there: Since tossing three touchdowns against the Redskins in Week 5, he’s tossed multiple scores just three times.
That said, he could find himself back in the game that doesn’t matter if the Pats are knocked out of the playoffs — if one of the QBs is in the Super Bowl, they get replaced. But you can bet participating in the Orlando game isn’t what matters to Brady. It’s the game schedule the week after that’s on his mind, and even if he’s having a mediocre season by his lofty standards, none of this matters.
But let’s take a second to say, wow, what an 11-year run of success this represents.
